


like real people do

by themarauderswap



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Animagus Lily Evans Potter, Animagus Regulus Black, Canon Queer Relationship, Cottagecore, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Forests, Gen, Good Regulus Black, Inspired by a Hozier Song, Light Angst, M/M, Marauders, Multi, Oneshot, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), Regulus Black Lives, Remus Lupin Needs a Hug, Sirius Black Needs a Hug, Slow Burn, Song: Like Real People Do (Hozier), Title from a Hozier Song, forest setting, lily and regulus are animagus, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:27:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28764030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themarauderswap/pseuds/themarauderswap
Summary: remus never went to hogwarts, living out his life in a cottage deep in a forest somewhere;alone.it's safe to say his life is completely turned upside down when he gets an unexpected visit from lionheart, cottontail, padfoot and prongsbased on the song like real people do by hozier(actually based on a lot of hozier music, it slaps)
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 77





	like real people do

**Author's Note:**

> something not explicitly stated but what I had in mind when writing this: Lily, Regulus James and Sirius became animagi, still illegally, but while at hogwarts so they could both cause mischief and to use as a surprise/spy element in the war.
> 
> Lily is Cottontail as she is a doe and Regulus is Lionheart, a lynx. 
> 
> also, not required but HIGHLY recommended; listen to hozier while reading!! i listened through his entire discography while writing this. !!play like real people do in the epilogue!!

The forest always served as a comfort. Waking up on the damp earth, caressed by the gentle beams of sun was extremely relieving. It was a moment of kindness before the pain set in.

Remus sat up, looking around the familiar grove. The sunlight was streaming through the evergreen trees towering above him. The forest was quiet, yet he could hear every individual noise making up that quiet; distant birds, the babble of a stream and the rustling of leaves. But he had mastered tuning it into a constant stream of quiet. 

He looked down at his body to see the same damage; he had a long clawmark down his chest peeking through the top of his threadbare sweater. It was scabbed over, and painful to the touch but showed no signs of infection. He wished he could stay out in the woods on the moons as well, but couldn’t stand it. Being out of control was too much a thought to bear. If someone stumbled upon him...

He tried not to think about it.

He stood up, creaky bones whining and popping at the movement. He began the walk home; he always was a good navigator. He still was not sure if it was a wolf thing or his exceptional memory. Nonetheless he never had to worry when he ran through the woods, expertly avoiding the roots and logs, just running to run. He supposed that could be the wolf but he hoped not; he felt the most like himself those times. 

The house stood solemn and stony as ever, the only one for miles. He didn’t know exactly how many; his parents never said, and he never needed to go anywhere. It’s not like he could, anyways. 

He entered the house and left the door open as he often did in the day. Animals tended to come in sometimes; they liked being around him and he didn’t mind the company. It’d been quite lonely since his mum had passed the previous year. His dad had been dead since Remus turned seven. The hardest thing he ever had to do was bury his mother, but he supposed she was happy. She lied to rest right out where she had told him, under the large oak where she could see the stream and the flowers would grow. 

Remus made sure there were always flowers there. That was another thing. Nature seemed to flow within his very blood. Growing things just...happened. He had always been able to just touch his hand to the ground and focus, and up would come whichever plant he felt. It was tiresome, but he'd learned how to take hold of the ancient wood magic surrounding him. His father had used a wand, but he never had to. It’s not like he was given the chance either. 

Remus walked into the study, the morning sun streaming in and illuminating the dust in the air. After the house was left to him he’d done some redecorating, and instead of the looming wooden desk, he just kept the patterned carpet. He liked to lie down when reading. 

He thanked whatever god was out there Hope Howell had taught him to read. He’d not been allowed to go to school, but didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t have books. School would have been fun, but it had not been meant to be as his mother always said. His father didn’t want him to read. Remus didn’t remember much about the man, only that he didn’t like Remus very much. He was still sad when the old man died. He was only an child; he hadn’t known why his father hated him, and Hope Howell would be damned if he upset her child post mortem. 

Remus pulled his current book from the large shelf and continued where he was. It was about a girl living in Paris. Remus made it a game to imagine life elsewhere. He was ever grateful for his mother’s photo book of her travels, and her pictures of other places around the world. He could spend hours imagining he was in books. While his mother was alive she would tell him about her travels. She really was his best friend. A day didn't go by without him missing her. His life had felt like it was drifting since she was gone, unsure of what direction it would take. Staying in the house his whole life seemed repetitive and _small_ , meaningless. But what could he do. 

About halfway through the day, when the morning sun left for the other side of the house, Remus dog-eared his book and went to the kitchen. It’d become a bit overrun with plants in pots and pans and bowls and glasses all over the counters. Remus only had a kettle, one pot, one pan and one place setting not used in his indoor garden. His mother always loved when he made plants grow in the house, saying it made the house feel alive. 

He rummaged around for the cast iron bucket and went out to the well to get water. It was a bit old fashioned, but he’d never had any other way; the advanced systems of water his mother had described didn’t come this far into the woods. Nothing did. 

Outside, he wasn’t surprised to see a familiar animal, a large stag standing at the forest line. He smiled at the animal, bowing his head in greeting. He (sadly) couldn’t talk to animals, but he could understand them. And they tended to understand more than they let on. 

“Come on Ronan, I’m making tea. Just need water first.” Remus said. The deer walked around to the patch of grass to graze as Remus pulled the water from deep in the ground. Luckily, before he passed Lyall Lupin had cast a charm on the well to keep the water clean. Hope had always been terrified about germs. “Right Ronan, in we go.” Remus called to the deer. The animal followed him in and stood in the kitchen near Remus, who was picking out tomatoes and cucumbers for his dinner to make a small salad. He set aside a generous amount for the stag and laid the produce on the stone floor. 

“Eat up.” Remus said. He plated his own food and settled in to eat. He sat in his usual place on the floor next to the hearth, letting himself get a bit lost in thought. It happened more often now. Ronan budged him with his antler, looking towards the window. 

“What?” Remus asked looking over. The deer was frozen, staring out at the woods. Remus could tell he was glaring. He crept to the window, looking out over the forest. 

A lynx was running,away from the house, but other than the animal he couldn't see anything, and nothing sounded out of the ordinary. Remus sat down, but Ronan was still looking out intensely. “I won’t let it get you.” Remus said, continuing his lunch. The deer eventually calmed and laid down next to Remus. A small rabbit hopped inside through the front; Eyra. 

She was fairly young, having been born just after his mother died. The 7th child of Sir Hoppington and Betsy, she was the runt of the litter. Remus had immediately latched onto her. She lived under his house. And visited often. Unlike most of the more wild or large animals, she would often let Remus hold her. She was almost like an outdoor cat. 

“Eyra, where’ve you been off to? I was getting worried.” Remus said smiling. The rabbit hopped over and into his lap. He gave her his last slice of cucumber. Ronan stood, bowing to Remus before turning to go. He loved being the center of attention, and tended to get offended easily. 

“Leaving so soon Ronan?” He joked. The deer huffed and walked back through the door, galloping out and through the woods. “Bye!” Remus called to the deer. He put Eyra on the floor and washed the dish with the remaining well water. He held the kettle in his hands and boiled the water. Elements were easy. But Fire was a dangerous game to play, being the easiest to work with. The normal amount of focus for plants was enough to set the whole kitchen on fire. It was impulsive and hard to control, brash and dangerous compared to the calm, solidness the earthen elementals provided. Water was a middle ground, with the same flow of the fire but the coolness of the earth. It was difficult though, as the water had a power all it's own. Remus used fire the least.

Besides, the commitment of having a fire going would keep Remus tied to the house for hours. He finished heating the water and poured the hot water into a mug over some tea leaves.

The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to make a new pain salve. His main one was best used on the large gashes directly after the moons, but he needed one for the aching pain of bones in between. His mother had been researching plants from Lyall's books to help, so many days were devoted to testing her theories and decoding her swirly shorthand. But it was tiring, and after changing into one of his mothers old shirts and well worn calf length pants from Lyall, he found himself bounding through the woods next to Eyra. They made towards the small waterfall. Remus smiled widely as the wind whipped through his long tawny hair. Days like this made everything worth it. 

“Slow down Eyra!” He said scooping up the bunny as they reached the river. She was very hyper and loved running as much as he did, but had more than once overshot the running distance. She nuzzled into the crook of his arm gratefully and he put her down by his feet. 

The river widened here, and he could see the sun sinking below the treeline. He sat next to the brook, putting his feet in the rushing water and soaked in the last few minutes of gold. He laid back and Eyra hopped up onto his chest.

As the sky darkened, he considered sleeping out there but he could smell a storm approaching for the morning. He felt the static in the air. There were always storms in this purgatory period between spring and summer. According to his calendar it was the month of April. He could be fine just keeping a lunar calendar but liked to know when holidays passed. 

Remus stood when he saw the stars shifting into the sky. It was deceptively clear for the inevitable storm. He scooped a sleeping Eyra into his arms and walked back. The forest seemed almost louder at night, magnified by the blanket of darkness.

The walk back was much longer. He could run fairly fast; faster than his mother at least. And he could see just as well in the dark as the light.But he was enjoying just walking. It was fairly peaceful; he could see the stars peeking out through the branches. He had found a field a couple miles away when he was younger, and he liked going there to stargaze. It smelled more floral then the rich woodsy smell he was accustomed to. 

He’d nearly reached the house when he heard it. 

*CRACK*

*CRACK*

*CRACK*

*CRACK*

He jumped in shock and Eyra woke up and squealed, scrambling out of his arms to the ground and bounding out of sight. Remus felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He crouched down and looked to the direction the noise had come from. There was a group of...people? Remus crept closer. 

“Regulus where are we? Why are we in the middle of the woods?” An high voice asked. A woman. From what he could see there were four people. One with long hair, three with short.

“I was here earlier scouting. There’s a house in good condition. We can hide out there for the night. Sirius, can you walk?”

“Of course I can fucking walk they hit my arm.” An androgynous voice sounded

“Lily did you bring your healing kit?” Another voice asked, this one deeper and clear. 

“No, but if it was just a cutting curse I can heal it with a wand. Come on, let’s get inside."

 _So they’re going to my house?!_ Remus thought frantically. He couldn’t just pop out of the shadows and tell them he lived there, they were under the impression it was abandoned, and why did they need an abandoned house? And if they were hurt they likely needed it more then him. So he settled for silently following them. 

The one in front, Regulus they called him, had stopped. He turned around and looked at the tree remus was standing behind. 

“Change.” He whispered to them. Remus had to clamp a hand over his mouth to hold in the scream as they all four changed into animals.

A stag, a doe, a shaggy black dog and...a lynx. Specifically the same lynx he'd seen earlier. _So Ronan was right._ The animals walked slowly towards the house, much quieter. They entered and shut the door. Remus crept around the back to the garden. He could hear them as he went through the outside door to the cellar, which he kept open out of the moons. 

“Are you sure it’s abandoned?”

“I didn’t see anyone. Plus look at the place, it’s a bit shabby. And in the middle of nowhere.”

“This is a magical plant, maybe it’s a wizard?”

“No Lils, there’s nothing in the cupboards. Wizards need food.”

“Alright smartass. But when a death eater comes home I’ll tell you I told you so from beyond.”

“What death eater would do indoor gardening- oh my god a bunny!” The androgynous (which was more masculine when not complaining) voice said. _Eyra! These people could be dangerous._ Remus groaned internally, hoping they wouldn’t hurt her. 

“Awww she’s so cute!” The girl, Lily, cooed. “Wait-James, did you feed Crookshanks?”

“Of course, love. And changed his litter.” The deep voice, James said. Remus’ head was swimming with questions. _How had they found his house in the first place? What was a death eater? And were the people upstairs okay? What happened?_ His thought process was cut off by the first voice he'd heard, Regulus. 

“Shit. There’s tea in this mug. Lukewarm.” 

“Wands out and searches the place. Padfoot, go with Lionheart.” Said James. 

“Is now really the time for nicknames?” Lily hissed.

“It’s always the time for nicknames Cottontail. Come on.” The group silenced as Remus heard footsteps overhead. He hoped they would hurry up and leave; it smelled like blood down here, and filled him with a sense of dread.

After a few minutes they all migrated back to the kitchen. It was a small house after all. 

“We’re all good.” Sirius said.

“Okay, sit down and I’ll get to work on that cut. James, can you try to find something to eat? And Reg, go find blankets or bedding.” Remus wished they weren’t so liberal with his stuff. He also wished he had a book down here. There was nothing of value or interest so he wouldn't destroy it at the moon.

“I’ll check the cellar.” James said. _Shit._

Remus scrambled to the outdoor opening just as light flooded the room. He threw it open, but before he could catch it to keep it from making noise it clanged into the side of the house. He had heard a yelp of surprise from the other cellar entry and thundering footsteps after James yelled out 

“Someone’s here!” 

Remus, still not clear on if they were dangerous, started to run. They must have caught sight of him because he felt someone drag him back. But no one was there. He was turned and realized someone was waving a wand around, summoning him there. He fought against it and managed to briefly break free, having the time to send a rush of vines closing his door. But one of the people had slipped out and cried

 _“Petrificus Totals!”_ And Remus was frozen to the spot, falling down onto his back. He felt his stiff body being lifted and floating back to his door. Rope wound itself around him, and and heard the vines on the door being slashed. He was levitated through the door and into his kitchen, where the ropes loosened just enough to attach him to a chair. _Shit Shit Shit._

“Who are you?” Sirius, who had long black hair and a hardened, chiseled face barked  
.  
“I’m- uh, Remus. Lupin.” Remus said, a bit shocked from the situation. Sirius narrowed his eyes. 

“Calm down Padfoot, he might be a muggle.” Lily, the girl, who had fiery red hair braided around her head said. “Are you magic Remus? A wizard?”

“No” he said. Sirius raised his eyebrows. “My dad was. He...well he died. They both did.”

“In the war?”

“What war?!” He asked, shocked. They all looked utterly confused.

“What do you mean what war? The same war that’s been going on for the last nine years!” Regulus exclaimed. 

“I didn’t know there was a war. I lived here all my life.” He answered honestly. _What had he missed?!_

“Oh. So you’re not a death eater then?” James asked bashfully. Remus shook his head.

“I don’t even know what that is. Can you please let me go?” He asked. He was starting to go a bit dizzy with pain from the ropes on his chest wound. Lily flicked her wand and the ropes vanished. Sirius held his wand tight in his fist, and Remus sensed he was still suspicious. 

“So you mean to say you’ve just...not heard anything about _anything?_ ” Sirius asked. 

“How would he Siri? He’s a muggle!” Lily said. The whole group was extremely tense, Remus could tell. 

“He sent vines up to slam the door! Without a wand or words! That’s powerful magic!” Sirius cried out. “He’s lying!”

“It could have been any of us, some uncontrolled protection-”

“It was me.” Remus cut in. They all stopped to look at him. Lily frowned. 

“But you said you weren’t a wizard.”

“I mean I’m not. Mum said wizards all went to big schools up in Scotland and I never got a letter. But I can...do magic if that’s what you want to know.” 

“How is that possible?” James asked. 

“Hogwarts is magic, they’ve never missed a student. It’s too big a security risk, the ministry double checks who’s going. It’s _not_ possible.” They were all looking at Remus, confusion, anxiety, distrust and fear the most potent emotions. 

“Were you homeschooled then?” Lily asked. Remus nodded. 

“Yeah, kind of.” Remus said. Sirius was staring at the floor. He hit James in the arm and pointed. Remus looked down to see a ring of grass shooting up around him, weaving almost a cocoon of protection around the chair. “Sorry, can’t control it when I’m nervous.” He said dispersing the plants back down. They were all staring open mouthed at him. Sirius looked over Remus, his eyes mostly landing on the silver scars lacing over his arms like spiderwebs and the gash on his chest. He was quiet for another moment before speaking up.

“He’s a werewolf, aren’t you _Remus Lupin?_ ” Sirius asked, annunciating his name. Regulus’ eyes widened, and James stood in front of Lily, wand clutched tightly in hands. Sirius just simply stood where he was, calculating. Remus sensed his worry go down, oddly enough. 

“Uh-Yeah.” he stammered. “But- I go in the cellar on moons. I know the stigma is really bad but I’m-I'm isolating so I can’t even-”

“-We won’t turn you in.” Sirius cut in. James looked over at him, trying to catch his eye gaze, but Sirius' grey blue eyes were locked with Remus. “But I have a question. Greyback, has he come to you?” Remus shook his head.

“No one comes here. Ever.” Sirius nodded, and looked over at James. 

“Prongs, a word?” he asked. He and James left the room, leaving Regulus and Lily. Regulus was in a stunned sort of silence and Lily shook off her expression of surprise and gave him a soft smile. 

“Lupin...I think I remember your dad’s name on a trophy. Dueling.” She said sitting next to him. He shrugged.

“I didn’t know him very well. He didn’t like me since I got...bitten.” The room went back to silence for a minute. Regulus was inspecting a magical plant. Lily spoke again

“I’m sorry love. We just showed up like we owned the place, scared you half to death.” She shook out her head and chuckled. “We got in a nasty fight, Reg here apparated us out just in time.” Remus nodded. She held out a hand. “I’m Lily. And The other two are James and Sirius.” He nodded, shaking her hand before turning to Regulus. 

“Like the stars?” He had turned to Regulus. He looked similar to Sirius, with the same black curls and steel grey eyes. He nodded. 

“Family tradition.” Remus nodded. Silence encompassed them all before Remus decided to break it, taking a page out of a book he’d read; hospitality. 

“Are you hungry?” 

“Famished.” Lily chirped. Remus nodded and stood, getting some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, which were currently thriving. He had meant to grow peppers, but hadn’t figured out how to conjure them and always ended up with odd looking fruits which were very much not peppers. He cut up the vegetables for the second time that day and tossed them all into a bowl, even using some of his almost-done salt and pepper grounds and some fresh basil. 

“That smells wonderful.” Lily said taking the fork he offered. He turned to Regulus. 

“I might not have enough forks, they’re probably around here somewhere.” He said beginning to rummage through the containers on every surface. Cutlery had been used as little stakes, which he slipped out of older plants letting them fall. He washed the three he managed to find and gave one to Regulus. He grabbed an apple he’d collected from the tree outside and bit into it. James and Sirius reentered and James nearly screamed. 

“Lily! What are you doing?!” He asked. Sirius glared at Remus. He gave Remus the image of a dog with its 

“Relax James. We watched him make it. I did a revealing spell and it’s just food.” She drawled. He nodded, relieved and turned to Remus, about to say something. 

“We might have to erase your memory. But we want you on our side.” Sirius stated bluntly. James elbowed him. 

“What he _meant_ to say is that we could really use a uh- werewolf, on our side. But it is a security breach. We’ll leave your other memories alone.” Remus’ heart started to speed up. The only thing he had was his memories. The counter he was gripping heated up and he let go before fire could rise up. 

“I won’t tell anyone! I’ve never even left and like I said no one-”

“-You’ve never left this house?” Sirius asked incredulously.

“Uh, yeah. But Please, I can’t even remember moons, I could never fight-”

“You’re one of the most powerful wizards I’ve met. Just come meet Dumbledore? He can explain everything better then us.” Sirius asked. Remus thought for a moment. _This could be it;_ his moment of adventure. He could live like they did in books. Like real people do. 

“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“You’ll be saving hundreds of lives Remus.” Lily said putting a hand on his shoulder. “Think about it. If you want to, you can come back with us tomorrow.” She said smiling softly. He nodded. 

“Okay. Uh, do you need anything? I can set up the beds.” he said. And spotting Sirius’ bloody shirt added. “Or get clean clothes.”

“That would be brilliant. Thanks for letting us stay mate.” James said, sending Remus a kind smile. 

“Yeah, of course.” Remus exited the kitchen, going first to his mothers bedroom. He pulled a woolen jumper from the wardrobe, and hid the photo of his family. He didn’t want them to take it. He doubted they would, but better safe than sorry. 

He reentered the kitchen to see James and Regulus eating the salad, and Lily patching up Sirius’ cut arm. Remus left once more and returned with his healing salve. 

“I’m not sure if you need it but I use this on mine. It’s a pain reliever.”

“Pass it here.” Sirius said, wincing. Lily opened the little jar and applied it, an expression of relief crossing Sirius’ face. 

“What is this Remus? We could use this in the healers ward.” She said. 

“My mother researched it. You can have the formula.” he said, taking the page from his notes book and folding it up. He’d well memorized it, and could just write it down again. 

“Thanks!” She said. Remus didn’t know what to do from there. The friends seemed to be chatting amongst themselves and he didn’t want to intrude. He left the room and walked outside, into the garden. He pulled his knees to his chest, trying to process the events of the day. He was only there a moment more before he heard the door open and footsteps approach. 

“Remus? Can I sit?” Sirius asked. Remus nodded. “You okay mate?” Remus nodded again. 

“Just...can you tell me about the war? What’s if about, who’s in it?” Sirius’ previously easy expression hardened. 

“It’s about blood status. Purebloods think they’re better than everyone, they’re killing muggleborns. We’re trying to stop them, the order”

“Who are the death eaters?”

“Voldemort's army.” Sirius said. “Voldemort's their leader. They’re all the blood supremacists. The bad guys.” Sirius said. 

“Are there any people like me in the...order?” He asked. Sirius shook his head. 

“That’s why we need you.”

“Would you really erase my memories if I said no?” he asked quietly.

“Not up to me. But it’s likely. Sorry to drag you into all this." He was quiet a second, looking out at the woods and then back. "Can I tell you a secret?” Sirius asked turning to face Remus. “I wish...I wish I wasn’t a part of this.” He looked off into the woods again. “But I have to do it. I can’t be like them. There’s too much on the line to sit back. It’s hell and you’re going to hate every day of it, but in the future, things will be better. For you, and Lils and everyone.” His voice was dire with determination when he turned to Remus. But his face just looked scared. And it was then that Remus noticed They were the same age. He thought Sirius was at least a few years older, but he was just aged by fatigue and fearIn the same way his mum had been. “Please. We need all the help we can get.” He whispered. Remus was quiet for a moment. He'd never had something to fight for, but this seemed good a cause as any. If kind people like Lily and others like him were at risk he had to. 

“I’ll do it.” Remus said. Adventure, sure, but seeing Sirius; face, hearing the true determination to win and fight set him into motion. _He had to._

“Thank you.” Sirius said. He laid his head on Remus’ shoulder. Remus was shocked at first, as he’d never so much as spoken this much to someone other than his family. But Sirius seemed at peace, and Remus sensed he was comfortable, but still tense from their encounter. They stayed out there for a while longer, and eventually Sirius had fallen asleep, and Remus felt too bad for the tired boy to move. So he stayed put, tilting his head to the sky. 

_Starlight_

_Star bright_

_First star I see tonight_

_Wish I may_

_Wish I might_

_Have this wish I wish tonight_

_I wish that this war will turn out okay. And people like these can rest. And live._

_Thank you._

Two years later

His wish had come true. 

Remus and Sirius walked into the cottage. Since Remus had joined the order he hadn’t the time to visit it. But now that everything was over, they were back. Sirius had wanted to be somewhere quiet for a bit, and Remus missed home. 

“Your plants are alive.” Sirius said, slipping his hand into Remus’. Remus smiled at him. 

“They're tied to me. Magic plants.” he said. He’d been given a crash course with a wand but still preferred his own wild, natural magic. Raw magic, Dumbledore had called it once. Remus didn't like Dumbledore, but he was leading the cause. 

Sirius hummed and let Remus pull him to the back garden. They could clean up the cottage soon enough. They were still exhausted. 

It took them almost a full year to hunt down the rest of the Horcruxes. Regulus and Lily had managed to find most of them unassisted, but Remus, Sirius and James had to join them to get the last two; the snake, and Voldemort himself. The rest had just been a process of raids to clear the last of the death eaters to Azkaban. And with James and Lily’s baby coming in the middle of everything things had been incredibly hectic for the last two years of Remus’ life. Now, they were both 23, and felt twice that. 

“Remember the first night we met?” Sirius asked. 

“Of course.” 

“When you scared us half to death from the cellar.” Sirius chuckled. 

“How do you think I felt, four strangers in my house?” He smiled jokingly, slinging an arm around Sirius’ shoulder. 

“Fair. Thank you Remus.”

“For?”

“Joining. If you hadn’t infiltrated the pack half of those death eaters would be roaming.”

“I had to. I’m glad you all stormed my house.” He said. 

“And I’m glad you trusted us.” Sirius said. They let silence fall over them, Remus once again getting lost in the oh so familiar sounds of the forest. Sirius turned to him, a quizzical expression on his face. "Why did you?" He asked. "We just...showed up." Remus thought for a moment. 

"Before you all...I hadn't really had a purpose. Sure it was fun and calm here, but I felt like I needed to do more. I was too scared to leave and hurt someone. But you...you had a cause. And Mum always told me to pick what is right over what is easy. For her. And me. And Lily and you all." he reflected. Sirius nodded, and pulled Remus into a kiss

The moments they had shared over the past year had been rushed, as life often was in war. Remus basked in the thought that they had lived and now he and Sirius could take all the time they wanted, and be like they were in that moment. Safe. Happy. Free. Maybe someday they could even get married. The protests he’d heard about in the news looked hopeful. And if more people were like James and Lily and Regulus, the future looked bright. But he knew he wouldn’t need to marry Sirius for what they had to be special. 

Just living was enough. Just Sirius being there, and loving him like people in his books, or better even, was enough. It was _real_ love. Sirius loved him how real people loved, in a way that could not be transcribed to text. 

And Remus loved him just as much. 

_No longer were self-proclaimed monsters locked away in towers of their own making._

_No longer were children soldiers in a war older then them._

_The main characters had reached their happily ever after._

And in that moment, he told him.

It took two whispers to solidify what had been unspoken, a thought never set to words but certain nonetheless.

“I love you.”

A true smile. 

“I love you too.” Sirius pulled back from where their foreheads touched and wrapped his arms tightly around Remus. 

Remus was home, truly home.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!! I had a lot of fun writing it, I did it all in one sitting!  
> I want to do more oneshots/short stories in the future but for now enjoy this one. I'll try to finish breakout, my other fic as soon as I can !!


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